Freedom from the Cage
by ThisGamerGirl53
Summary: Tomone Unami lives her simple life in Shingashina with her Mother, her Father... Well lets not dwell on that. When Shingashina is attacked, she makes a vow. A vow on the spilled blood of another that she would free herself from the cage that is the Three Walls. Joining Military Training starts out tough, but when she meets Eren Jaeger... Maybe things will turn to the bright side?
1. That day

To you, 2000 years from now.

My name is Tomone.  
Tomone Unami.  
I live outside the Third Wall, Wall Maria.  
I live in Shingashina.  
I am a human.  
I am weak.  
 _We_ are weak.  
Humans are weak.  
I am weak.

My footsteps crunched on the rubble of the cobblestone path beneath my feet, my footsteps tiny and slow. I wanted to take it all in.  
These woods were beautiful, yet sparse, and it was getting late. Mother had wanted me home before noon- Probably to help make lunch - but I loved these woods. Really, truely I did. The sound of birds singing as they flew past and the way the tree's shook gently in the wind. The smell of Honeysuckles in the spring... It thrilled me.  
Yet I hated it.  
Deep down I had that feeling of contempt. Envy. Jealousy. Though, it was rather confusing at the time.  
I lived in a town called Shingashina. A small, poor town built along the outside of the Third of the Three 50 meter Walls, Wall Maria. The Second Wall, Wall Rose, was where the... 'Middle-Class' of sorts lived. Though they were certainly more wealthy than us, and even the citizens of Wall Maria. The innermost Wall, Wall Sina, was where the King lived. Where the rich feasted on roast and partook of delicate wine's every evening, and where the Military Police lived their comforted lives. They had no worry of fearing even the slightest earthquake. It sickened me.  
Meanwhile, our town, one of four outerlaying towns, was meant to draw the attention of the Titans. Titans. They seemed like an old wives tale, ment for keeping their troublesome children out of trouble, yet every day the air was filled with the faint sounds of cannonfire. A Titan had approached the walls.  
I hated being locked within these walls, I want to see the 'Sea' many children spoke rumors of. My mother had dismissed them as a myth made up to fuel our imaginations but... I believed it.  
But while I hated being stuck here, I wanted to move farther within them. I wished we had been rich enough to live in Wall Sina.

To be honest... The cannon's always made their way into my dreams in some way. And it scared me. I wanted to be comfortable and not live in fear, even though I could never truely fear a Titan. I've never seen one.  
At least... Not until that day.  
Year 845, Shingashina District.

I had helped mother with lunch, eaten my fill, and left again to wander the streets.  
I had completed my few chores for today and Father... Well... Mom told me then, that he went to 'Live with his parents'. But now, I feel like thats not the case.  
My eyes glitter in the light of the sun as I make my way through the marketplace, passing stands that smelled of apple pie and others of fish. I even passed a girl around her age handing her father a basket of bread to sell at his shop. The girl's light blue eyes sparkle as she shoots her father a cheeky grin, her brown hair floating gently to the side as a gust of wind blows past.  
Although I loved/hated my life here, I loved the community. And I couldnt help but laugh as a woman frantically chases a chicken down the street. Life here was... Amusing, to say the least. Even if it could get rather dull.  
Hearing a loud crank, my gaze turned to the Gate built into our wall, which was now opening, and I paused. I blink.  
 _The Survey Corps. is back..._  
My gaze falters and I look to the ground, starting slowly off again. I ignore the rushing crowd about me as the go to greet the regiment or... See what the damage was this time.  
I couldn't watch them as they returned, not again. Not after last time.  
*Flashback*

"The Survey Corps. is back, Mom!"  
"The Survey Corps. have returned!"  
"I wonder how bad it is this time?..."  
My little feet carry me swiftly over the cobblestone streets of our town, towards where the crowd of civilians was gathering near the opening gate. I shove someone aside, rather ruedly, and grab a box to stand atop of. Even then, what with my horrendeous genetics cursing me to be short forever, I have to stand on my tippy-toes to see.  
Slowly, Survey Corps. members file in. Their eyes are tired and glazed over, as if they wanted to forget today, and they trudge along with no plan of hurrying.  
But then I noticed the bandages, and the blood.  
Men and women, covered head to toe in bandages, gause and band-aids walk past. Some more bandaged than others...  
And some covered by white blankets.  
Many are splattered with blood and their clothes are torn. One man in particular carries a small, red stained cloth. About the size of an arm.  
My eyebrows stitch together and I shy back slightly, my heart sinking down to my tiny feet. Confusion racks my brain.

These guys were supposed to be the strongest, right?  
It cant have been that bad for them, right?  
As one man passes, my gaze locks onto his bright blonde hair out of the sea of dul tones. A strand dangles in front of his face but he makes no move to fix it. His dark green cloak is stained with red and small scratches and patches of dirt cover his uniform and skin. He leads his horse quietly along.  
Almost as soon as I find him, he seems to straighten a bit, and he turns. His icy blue eyes blink as he finds my own peridot green ones. He seemes... Shocked...  
Although his precense frightens me slightly, I cant help but be drawn to him in some way.  
He notices my confused expression and he turns away, seemingly ashamed. I blink, now more confused than ever.

*Flashback end*

A woman had screamed bloody murder that day, over her son Moses. The only part left of him was his right arm, which they presented to his mother upon their meeting.  
Now that I think back, when they passed the stench of blood had filled the air. I guess I never noticed.  
As I continue on my way, I pass a preacher. There were a few who supported the Wall's having been built so strongly that they believed it had been an act of God, a gift that we take for granted and should praise every day as if they were Gods themselves.  
"The Walls are an act of God, and they shall never break! We have no need to worry!" He chants as I pass. I reach up a hand and curl my short blonde hair around my ear. I look up at the wall... No, past it. To the birds flying amongst the clouds in the distance.  
Those who believe the Walls will hold up forever, in my opinion, need to have a reality check.  
 _I want to get out. I want to go... I want to go home. To the outside. To... Home.  
_ Suddenly I am sent careening head over heels onto the ground, my head smacking painfully into the dirt. Around me, merchant carts tip and fall. People screech and topple, gasping in shock as an unearthly glow lights up the area with a boom. As the shaking ceases, I push my arms back and use them to prop me up as I push into a standing position. Rubbing my head, my eyebrows furrow as other citizens stand around me.  
"What was that?"  
"Whats going on, whats happened?"  
People stand frozen, waiting in silence, while others jog from nearby parts of town.

But something didnt feel right. No, something felt unnatural...  
The air is thick and I take a nervous step back. Smoke rises slowly from where I can only assume the light hit.  
Then slowly, a red, muscly looking something reaches up over the wall. My eyes widen.  
 _A hand.  
_ Huge, heavy fingers clutch the wall, cracking the stone and sending cannons flying. Another reaches up and I feel my heart pound, sinking down to my stomach.  
 _It cant be...  
_ A beefy head pokes over the wall and stares, at us with its small, dark eyes. Almost... Glaring at us pittiful humans with a look of contempt.  
"No way!" I hear someone gasp. "That wall is _50_ meters tall!"  
Eyes wide in fear, I let out a whimper and my feet shuffle back again.  
 _Its huge!...  
_ Time seems to slow as the head seems to arch a bit, before a gale of wind sends me flying back again. I tumble down the street, my finger nails splitting against the stone as I try to stop myself.  
Around me, people scream and flee, others weep. The preachers continue to preach.  
As I lift my head, I notice something large and dark shooting towards me. The boulder lands a few feet away and sends a jolt down my spine.  
"The Wall's been breached!"  
"Everyone run!"

Fear overtakes me and I sit up. I can only stare as smoke rises around me and houses crumble from rocks.  
Bodies are crushed beneath boulders and houses and the girl from before stands crying in the middle of it all, crying into her hands.  
A small wimper escapes my lips, curled back and revealing my clenched teeth. But no matter what I see, I cant seem to cry. I guess the shock was too much.  
Cannonfire fills the air as two children run past me, heading straight towards where the Titans were entering. The Titan's ugly heads were just visible over the destroyed houses, grins plastered to their faces for all eternity. A woman with dark hair pulls on a woman's arm.  
"Please, miss! You need to come with me!" She exclaims. "Dont let your baby die before you can even give birth to it!" The woman sobbs and hobbles along the best she can.  
Suddenly my body leaves the ground and I am slung over a shoulder. Snapping out of my stupor, I turn and to get a look at who grabbed me.  
I blink.  
 _Its the man from back then...  
_ Although I cant see his face, I know. His blone hair stands out amongst any crowd. My heart lurches.

"W-Wait! What about my family?" I demand.  
He shakes his head.  
"I'm sorry, but this is all I can do for now..." He mutters quietly. I dont protest. As we pass a market, I spot a woman crying beside a man trapped under his house. The man's grip tenses on my back and I hang my head. "Dont blame yourself..." Is all I can muster.  
And thinking back on that event, those were some pretty damn wize words for a kid!  
This blurr as we rush past and suddenly I am on a tram-boat, heading for Wall Sina.  
I turn to thank my savior, but he had already vanished.  
The door is closed and Garrison members wave off the boat that was stuffed to the brim with citizens of Shingashina. So many were crowded by the dock that they pushed and shoved eachother, more focused on leaving. Fear had overtaken them. So much so, that many jumped, trying to reach the tram-boat.  
I back up and my back hits the engine room wall. Sinking to my knees, I curl into myself, pulling my legs up to my chest.  
Beside me, a man shakilly pulls out a pocket knife.  
"I cant take this..." He mutters. In a flash, he slices his throat. Blood spatters across the wooden deck of the boat and across my left side and my eyes widen. A woman screams as the body falls to the ground, the blade sliding over to me.  
I stare at the blade with wide eyes, almost wary, before reaching out with a shaky hand and picking up the bloody blade.  
I flip it over, closing it and looking at the insignia engraved onto the side. Wall Sina's symbol surrounded by roses.

My thumb rubs the image gently and my gaze hardens.  
"I'll join the military and take back what I've lost..." I mutter darkly. "I'll get myself out of this cage."  
Resting my chin on my knees, I fiddle with the knife for the rest of the ride.


	2. Wish for Liberation

**(A/N: Hey guys! Just noticed I accidentally updated the same chapter twice. ;-; Forgive me, and here's the real chapter. :p )**

Over a century ago, mankind faced a new enemy.  
The difference in power was overwhelming.  
The shot of their heads, but they re-grew.  
They cut off their limbs, yet they returned.  
Mankind was driven to the brink of extinction.  
But we overcame weakness.  
We are not weak.  
Humans are not weak.  
I am not weak.

A few days after the attack, I learned that not only Shingashina had been breached, but Wall Maria also. Thats why I sat in wall Rose, my stomach growling and eating in on itself.  
We survivers of Shingashina, along with citizens within Wall Maria, were evacuated to Wall Sina, but unfortunatly for us, there wasnt enough food to go around.  
We had lost 1/3 of our territory and 20% of our population, after all. People literally could, and would, kill for food if the Garrison didnt keep them in check. So I gave my portions to the pregnant woman that man and I passed.  
I couldnt seem to get him out of my head, that one. His actions, his words, everything about him puzzled me.  
One day, as I sat against an old stone wall pondering this man, I notice a few Garrison members nearby. They mumble cold, cruel words about us refugee's and I make a face.  
"Why do we have to give _our_ food to the outsiders?" One asks. I blink, shocked.  
"I mean, the Titans broke through the wall anyway. They should've eaten more of them."  
I tense, rage making my blood boil.  
 _You wreched scum..._  
Almost the same instant I had gotten the nerves to stand, someone else was there. A young boy.  
He had olive skin and brown hair that sat in tangles upon his head. But what really stood out to me was... His eyes.  
Those turqoise eyes swam with anger, and glittered as he stormed up to the man.  
"This'll just make the food shortage worse-" The boy, upon reaching the man, lifts his foot and delivers a swift kick to the shin.

Leting out a low yelp, the man grabs his leg, glaring daggers at the boy. He raises his fist.  
"The hell are you doing, you brat?" He growls, before his fist swings down and hits the boy in the face. My heart lurches.  
The man's companion gives him a rough kick to the side as he staggers, sending him straight to the ground. As he falls to the ground, I sneak over to a support column for an awning and duck behind it.  
"You dont know what you're talking about!" The boy exclaims. His eyes are filled to the brim with unshead tears. I blink.  
 _He's from... Shingashina. Like me...  
_ People stop and stare as the boy clenches his fist, using his elbow to prop him up.  
"You've never seen it happen with your own eyes!" At this, both Garrison members seem to tense and their eyes flicker nervously around at the refugee's that surrounded them. "How the Titan's eat people..." They boy chokes on his words, his shoulders shaking slightly, before the one of the Garrison members clenches his fist, stepping forward.  
"Shut up, kid!"  
My eyes widen and I dash out and grab the kid's arm. He gasps, shocked and blinks at me as I go to drag him away from the fight he couldnt win.

In a flash, a blonde head of poofy hair had stepped out in front of us.  
"We're sorry!" The boy exclaims, though I'm shocked I could tell he was... Well, a he. His voice is rather high... "He's just ticked off 'cause he's hungry." He lies. "T-Thats why he was acting like a brat."  
The boy beside me stiffens and his turquise eyes flare. He opens his mouth to protest but I hastilly smack my hand over it, shooting him a look.  
"Shh!" I hiss.  
Another girl with long, dark hair walks over from nearby and stands beside him, pulling up a dark red scarf wrapped tightly around her shoulders.  
"We're really sorry..." She murmurs.  
Around us, civilians begin to murmur in confusion. I can only imagine what's running through their minds right now.  
The man purses his lips, seemingly anxious. "Whatever..." He huffs. "You would have been dead without us." He turns back to his partner and stalks past him. "You kids should be more grateful!"  
"Y-Yes!"  
Gritting his teeth, the boy smacks my hand away and takes a step forward, only for the dark haired girl to loop her arm around his in a death grip and drag him off under the shade of an awning. The blonde boy, who I have now noticed has a copius amount of hair, scurries quickly after them.  
I blink before slowly following.

"Dammit... I'd rather die than leech off of people like him." The girl releases the first boy's arm and he pulls it quickly away from him. Walking over, he sits up on a wall made of bricks and my steps slow. I was letting my shyness get the better of me...  
"I'll get back inside Wall Maria, and I'll kill off all the Titans." He mutters.  
The blonde boy from before looks at his friend with concern lacing his blue eyes. "Eren, youre not serious, right?" He asks quietly, passing him a loaf of bread.  
Fist clenching around the bread, the boy -pressumably named Eren- lets out an angry grunt. "I'd never be more serious!" He growls. "I'm not like those other people, who only act tough when they're protected by their precious Walls!" He throws the bread at the blonde, who fumbles dangerously with it. "I dont need this crap!"  
"Eren, what are you doing?!"  
Eren hops down from his perch and stalks towards his friend. "Doesnt it piss you off at all? We cant do anything against the Titan's because we live in such pity!"  
"Its impossible! Nothing can defeat them." The blonde retorts. "Our only chance is to live inside the walls!"  
I feel the air grow thick as tension links between the two boys. "If you do anything rash, you'll die the same way my parents did!"  
My eyes widen. _His parents are... Dead?... Parents... Mom and Dad...  
_ I feel my heart sink slightly before I look up to the sound of flesh-to-flesh contact and a body hitting the ground.

I blink, frozen as Eren sits up from the pavement once more, glaring at the black haired girl who's fist she had risen against him. The blonde turns to her, wide eyed.  
"Mikasa?"  
The girl's dark eyes glitter as the the three friends stare eachother down for a moment.  
"If Armin is weak, then so are you and I." She says softly. "We couldn't stop the Titans, or leave the city by ourselves. Even the food we eat is from someone else." I make a face.  
 _But we're just kids... I think your perception of the situation is slightly off, even if you are right in a sense.  
_ "Theres absolutely no chance of us weaklings taking down even one Titan." Eren's eyes flash and he seems to become slightly downcast, his eyes shimmering slightly, before he lets out a small 'tch' and looks away. "What's important is staying alive, just as your mother said." Taking a small step forward, she snatches the loaf of bread from the blonde- Armin, I think - as she passes. She stops in front of the boy and he looks up to shoot her a dirty look only to be cut off as she abruptly shoves the bread into his mouth. "  
The blonde boy seemes to stiffen a bit, taking a shy step forward. "Um, Mikasa?"  
"Eat the bread, Eren. Eat and stay alive. I wont let you starve to death."  
I blink, my heart pounding before I myself move shyly towards the group.

"U-Um... Excuse me?" I ask quietly.  
All three turn to me, blinking. Mikasa still holds the bread up to Eren's mouth but he just stares, not bothering to remove her hand. He was likely pondering why I had approached them. Now adays, it was every man for himself. I fiddle with the hem of my sleeve.  
"I just wanted to say that what you did back there was really brave..." I give them a small smile. "I wish I had courage like you guys did."  
Armin smiles and Mikasa blinks, still a bit in shock at my appearance. Jolting from his silent stupor, Eren pulls the bread out of his mouth and swallows the chunk, wiping his eyes that appear to be glistening with unshead tears. "My name is Tomone."  
Armin takes a step forward. "I'm Armin. A-And this is Mikasa and Eren."  
Mikasa turns to face me fully, looking me over before pulling up her scarf. "Nice to meet you."  
I shiver as Mikasa looks me over once more.  
 _She's got a scary aura about her...  
_ Eren swallows his chunk of bread. "I'm Eren!" He smiles and I wave. Armin suddenly hands me a piece of bread and I turn to him, blinking.  
He points to the pregnant woman a few feet away. "I noticed you giving her your rations... I figured you could use some food."  
I blink at him, my cheeks flushing slightly. Nobody had ever been kind to me since we arrived, or really talked to me. And I can understand why.  
But... These three were willing to talk to me even after simple introductions...

I look down at the bread for a moment, before my gaze washes over the three companions and my heart swells.  
"Th-Thank you!"  
I rip a chunk of bread off of the hunk.  
 _I think I've made some new friends... At least, I hope!_  
...But the bread was still stale...


	3. Mercedes Benz?

We starve.  
We thirst.  
We live.  
We die.  
We fight.  
Are we really that weak?

I had spent three years with Eren and the gang, enjoying as much of my life as I could as a refugee.  
They learned about how I escaped, and how I lived before Shingashina and Wall Maria fell, and they told me of their own pasts. Armin's grandfather was kind and loved to listen to us ramble about how maybe one day we would be let free from the walls with a small smile on his face.  
But now, we are fifteen years old. Armin's grandfather is dead, along with several hundreds more refugee's who were sent out to fight with no knowledge on how to do so. And that night, under the stars, as Armin clutched his grandfather's hat to his chest and wept, we all swore that we would start Military training.  
I stand quietly in line, my hand held behind my back and my gaze staring at nothing else but my Sargent. He was currently walking around and screaming in people's faces, but you could tell why.  
Anyone could tell the differance between seeing the Shingashina District fall and being swarmed by Titans, or simply joining the Military to fight them. I fiddle nervoudly with the several hair-ties on my wrist. I hadn't been up close and personal with any Titans, but I remember watching my home town go up in flames well enough.  
Cursing myself in my head, I resist the urge to shake it and clench my fists, ceasing with the fiddling of the hair-ties.  
 _I musn't show weakness here... No, I cant. Or else he'll scream at me too, and I wont have that. I... I cant let him intimidate me.  
_ "You there!"  
Ahead of me, Armin hurriedly puts his arms up in a salute, offering his heart in service to the King.

 _Who's probably eating some keesh as this is happening.  
_ "Sir!"  
"Who the hell are you?" Shardis demands, his scowl locked onto my poofy haired friend. I notice a bead of sweat drip down Armin's neck.  
"Armin Arlert from the Shingashina District, sir!"  
"Is that so? What a ridiculous name! Did your father name you that?"  
"M-My grandfather did, sir!" I can tell Armin his holding back his stutter as his left hand clenches on his back.  
"Arlert, what did you come here to do?" Armin keeps his eyes trained on Shardis' coat, avoiding contact throught this entire shpeel as Shardis leans in closely.  
 _He's trying to get his heart pounding. He's trying to break him._ I think. _He's trying to weed out the strong from the weak on the first day... To see who's worthy enough to waste his time and energy on._  
"To contribute to mankind's victory, sir!"  
"How commendable of you." He states, leaning back with his eyes still locked on target. I notice a few other Trainee's gulp. "We'll use you as Titan bait."  
I cant help but tense a bit, my heart pounding at his statement.  
 _Calm down, Tomone. Dont let him get to you... He's just kidding... Right?  
_ He turns Armin around to face girl with her hair tied into low-hanging pigtails. "Third line, turn face!" All other Trainee's follow his orders.  
I gulp.

He's getting closer and closer to me with every Trainee he stops beside. From a boy named Jean Kirshtein, who wants to become a member of the Military Police- Wow really, why the hell did you even join bro, go eat some keesh.- who recieved an abrupt headbut (Man did Eren's eyes flash to him when he said he wanted to live in the walls. I could FEEL it, it was such an intense look, even if it wasnt meant to be.) to a girl named Mina Carolina, who was dubbed to be worse than cattle.  
I feel my heart beat out of my chest as he stops before me.  
"You there, girly!" I raise my arms in a stiff salute.  
"Sir!" A bead of sweat falls down my cheek.  
"Who are you and what is your purpose here?" Shardis demands.  
"Tomone Unami from the Shingashina District, sir! I want to free humanity and I would gladly give my life to protect the King and the citizens around us, sir! I want to join the Scouting Legion, sir!"  
I feel myself cringe as his eyes flash, with what emotion I couldnt tell. But to me it seemed to be a look of contemt, shock, and silent approval.  
"Oh, another from Shingashina? You dont look like you've seen a fucking Titan in your measly life!"  
"I did not come withing contact, sir! I was pulled into Wall Maria by a Scouting Legionare before I was hurt, sir!"  
Shardis leans unbearibly close down and I hold back my intense urge to step back.  
"You look like a pansy to me, are you sure you're ready to die?" He demands. People turn to me as I gulp, pausing.  
"Y-Yes sir! No doubt in my mind, sir!"  
"And why's that?"  
"I swore on the life of a man that was unrightfully taken from him by fear, sir!"  
"Oh?" He leans away and I hold back a sigh. He grabs my head and turns me around. "Seventh line, turn face!"  
As Shardis stalks away, looking about for his next prey, I scan the crowd.

It was true you could tell the difference between those who had felt that fear in any way, had seen this happen with their own two eyes.  
Had their innocence ripped from their bodies as their families and homes were crushed and eaten.  
Mikasa and Eren stare ahead with dull eyes, and another girl with her hair tied back in an intricate lookinf bun looks more bored than a cow grazing in the fields.  
That is... Until Shardis picks a boy up by the head, pulling the skin around the side of his eyes to the side.  
"You have it backwards, Connie Springer." Jaws drop and my eyes widen a bit as my chest lurches. "It should've been the first thing you learned- that salute is a symbol that openly declares your determination to offer your life. Is your heart on the right side?"  
 _Awh buddy... Connie just... Man... He got to you before he could even demand your name.  
_ Suddenly we hear a light crunch.  
All eyes turn to a girl with her hair tied back as she quietly munches on a raw potato. Shardis immediatly drops Connie, sending him to an immediate and extremely eminent faceplant into the dirt.  
"What are you doing?" He murmurs, his voice reaching a dark tone. I shudder as an unearthly aura seems to spew from him. Everyone immedialy becomes tense as the girl looks around, wondering if she had been caught. She takes another bite and Shardis stalks towards her at high speed.

" _You_! I'm talking to you!" He exclaims into her ear. The girl seems to jump, as if she hadnt had this coming to her from the start. "Who the hell are you?!"  
The girl finishes her chewing and gulps before throwing her hands into a salute with the potato still in her grasp.  
"Sasha Blaus, from Dauper Village in Wall Rose's southern district, sir!"  
I mentally facepalm.  
 _Oh Sasha... I pitty you, but I do not envy you._


	4. S-St-Stutterer

We fight  
We survive  
We die  
We vow  
We win  
We lose  
We die again  
This is just a vicious cycle  
Humans are weak

Sasha's potato is smacked from her hand and she is ordered to perform laps around the camp without dinner until she drops, much to her apparent horror.  
And when we get to the last line, my gaze flickers to a girl I had seen before.  
My midn flashes back to the little brown haired girl, handing her father bread before crying in the street.  
"Who in sweet mother Teresa's name are you?" Shardis yells.  
"Ria Meiōsei of the Shingashina District, s-sir!"  
"We have a lot of refugee's here dont we?"  
"Y-Yes sir!"  
"What is with that stutter, maggot! Talk to me like a real man!"  
"S-Sorry sir-"  
"D-D-D-Did I stutter?" He leans unbearably close to Ria's face and I purse my lips. "Fix the damn stutter!"  
"S-... Sorry, sir! I'll w...work on it, sir!" I make a face. The poor girl was trying her best.  
 _I get that we're being trained for life in the military but still, cut her some slack.  
_ "All lines, report to the Mess Hall in five hours! Until then, learn your way around!" With a unanimous salute from all Trainee's we walk off in search of the dorms, Mess Hall, training area, and simply outright exploring the place. Not many walk together, but here and there small groups whisper quietly. Most of us were too scared to speak to one another. In fice hours, I head towards the Mess. As I walk , I notice a small group gathered by the railing. Blinking, I walk over and stand beside a girl who I remember to be Mina.  
"What's going on?" I ask.  
Mina and a few others turn to me. "Potato Girl's still running." Connie explains. I hold back a chuckle at the new nickname the female Trainee had already earned. I turn to him, shocked.  
"But didnt she start immediatly after Shardis told her to?"  
"Five hours ago?" Eren asks. "Yeah."  
My eyes sparkle.

"Woah..."  
"You know," Mina pipes up. "I dont think she minded the 'Run till you Drop' part as much as the 'Skip dinner' part."  
Several others, including myself, nod at the prospect. The girl staggers, but continues her punishment as the group falls silent.  
"Isn't Dauper Village a hunting village deep in the mountains?" Mina nods.  
"Its a rather small village, too."  
Eren's head turns suddenly, as if he'd spotted something, and he blinks. "What's that?"  
Following his line of sight, my gaze befalls a canvas wagon heading slowly up the dirt hill and away from the camp.  
"The dropout's." Marco explains, looking a bit downcast. They opted to be transferred to reclaimed land."  
My nose twitches.  
 _And that means that they get to move on with their lives as families... I dont see any other path towards my future but in the Military.  
_ Armin walks up and stands beside me as I lean on a wooden support beam, my head resting against the wood worn down over age. "What? But its only the first day."  
I close my eyes and hum for a second. "It's only natural. The powerless have no choice but to leave."  
I open my eyes and blink as Eren and I finish our sentence in synch and everyone stares at us. I reach a hand into my pocket and wrap my finger's around my pocket knife.  
"W-Well I mean... If they havent got the guts for the Military, why waiste time and energy training people who are just going to die?" I murmur. "It'd be a pointless waste of life."  
Eren nods. "Agree'd." He adds.

"Going back to pulling weeds and picking up rocks..." He mutters to himself, watching as the wagon rides off into the woods. Marco sits up and turns to my green eyed companion.  
"That reminds me, they never asked you for your name or birth place or anything." Eren grins and puts a hand on my shoulder, his left resting with a thump atop Armin's.  
"I'm from Shingashina just like these guys." Connie gulps and his hazel eyes widen, shimmering slightly.  
Faced Marco's shoulder's seem to droop. "I see. Thats..."  
"So you were there on _that_ day, right?" Connie cuts in. I feel my stomach curl into a knot. "All three of you?"  
"H-Hey!" Marco turns to him and looks shocked as Connie leans forward.  
"Did you catch a glimps of him? The Collossal Titan?" He asks, growing a tad more excited than I'd want - or expect- him to be.  
Immediatly the three of us deflate and Eren nods. "Y-Yeah."  
"What happened?!"  
Mina whacks his shoulder. "Dude! You cant just-"  
"There was a flash of light and a big earthquake. His hands hit the wall first." Everyone turns to me and I close my eyes. I pull my hand from my pocket and cross my arms. "He destroyed the artillary at the top so Titan's wouldnt get shot with HE rounds. Any Garrison members up there, I would suppose, had died. Whether he did that on purpose or what, I dont know."

Armin gives me a look. "Are you saying you think Titan's could be intelligent?"  
I shake my head. "No, I like to give myself a bit of a dramatic twist sometimes, dont judge me."  
 _Thats a lie... I do think he was intelligent.  
_ "There was a lot of smoke, and then he looked over the wall. Almost as if it were a table just a tad too high. And then he kicked it down, and hell broke loose." I mutter. "I wasnt there for more than half an hour or so before some Scouting Legionare whisked me off to the boats." Mina leans forward a bit.  
"You did mention that earlier... Did you see who it was?" I shake my head.  
"No idea. Just know that he was blonde and had blue eyes."  
After a few moments of awkward conversation, we head to the Mess Hall for dinner. I grab a tray and sit across from Eren.  
Only minutes into the light chatter and eating, people had begun to crowd us and ask us more questions. Eren sighs and lowers his spoon of soup into his mouth.  
"Like I said, I saw everything." He mutters, seemingly a bit agitated. Gasps resound around the group and I bring a hand to my forehead, rubbing it.  
 _Can I just eat without wanting to burst into tears?!  
_ People around us, even if they werent crowding, tune in to listen as Mikasa and Armin sit behind the wall of Trainee's surrounding us. I shoot them several apologetic and pleading looks.  
 _Help me, please. Please!_

People were demanding facts about the Collossal Titan, and suddenly memories I didnt know I had were flooding back to me.  
Titan's walking by a meer few feet away, people being eaten before my eyes. A weak attempt to stagger away with shaky knees before falling to the ground again.  
Tears streaming down my face, families screaming and mouring those crushed or long gone. Scouting Legion soldiers swarming past us.  
And that blonde head I remembered so well.  
Eren pauses as someone asks what an average Titan looks like and his eyes shimmer with unshead tears. He covers his mouth.  
I stare at my food and I hang my head, my shoulders shaking slightly. I feel like I'm going to hurl.  
Standing, everyone watches as I walk calmly to the trashcan, deposit the food I hadnt eaten, and storm past. I wipe my eyes and sniffle as I pass Armin, who reaches out for me but I pull my hand away and exit the now silent Mess Hall.  
 _Damn intrusive people...  
_ The door opens and Marco stands in the doorway. "Hey, Tomone... We didnt mean to-" He stops as I shoot to the railing and retch, my tears mixing in with the dinner I'd just ate. People stare through the door way and poke over Marco's shoulder.

Straightening, I wipe my mouth and let out a shaky breath.  
"My advice..." I mutter. "Ask with caution."  
I walk calmly away like nothing happened. "Its not like the Titans are a big deal." I hear Eren say in the backround, swallowing the waver in his voice and pushing it down with bread.  
 _I know what you're thinking Eren... It's the memorie's that hurt most.  
_ As the bell rings for turn in, I start off to find Potato Girl.  
"She's probably dropped by now, wouldnt want her to get hurt."  
I find her asleep on a blonde girl's lap, before a taller brunette with a tough expression slings her arm over her shoulder. I jog over.  
"Did she collapse already?"  
The blonde nods. "I-I just gave her some bread and..."  
"Food coma." The brunette finshes. I blink and nod, heading over to the brunette.  
"I'll help..." Grabbing Sasha's other arm, I sling it over my shoulder. Both girls look at me. The brunette smirks.  
"You got spunk, kid."  
I raise an eyebrow. "Hu?"  
The brunette chuckles. "Dont worry about it. Name's Ymir."  
The blonde girl stands. "M-My name is Krista." She says, smiling. I blink.  
 _This girl... She must be an angel!  
_ I smile back. "Tomone."  
And so, with the help of the two girls, we drag Sasha to the girl's dorms and I flop into bed.  
 _3D Manuever Gear training tomorrow... Gotta wake up early_! I curl into my thin blanket.  
 _Personal goal: Try to beat Mikasa and/or Eren.  
_ Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	5. Jaeger-Bombastic

We train  
We fight  
We live  
We die  
We survive  
Survival of the Fittest  
Are we the fittest?

The next morning, I am awoken by the sound of a girl falling from her bunk. Shooting upright, I curse as my head hits the bunk above me and scramble out of bed to throw on my uniform. Around me, the other girls struggle to fit into their tight pants or are more focused on brushing their hair, where as I simply run the brush through, slip on my uniform and bolt. As I jog out to the 3DMG Training area, I throw my hair up into a ponytail. Long hair was a safety hazard, and as proof of so, Mikasa chopped half of her hair off last night.  
Rushing to my line, I take my place and wait for the others. Shardis looks at the large clock on one of the buildings and makes a face.  
As the other Trainee's file into their lines, I look around.  
 _Eren had better not be late...  
_ In an instant, a poofy head of blonde hair stands at attention beside me, a slightly disheveled and out of breath Eren beside him. I peer over Armin's chest at him.  
"Eren, fix your jacket." I tug at the collar of my own standard brown jacket and he frantically fixes himself up as Shardis steps up.  
He gestures to several large, metal contraptions behind him. Rigged with ropes and pullies, they looked more like torture devices than 3D Manuever Gear practice sets.  
"First, we'll test your aptitude!" He announces, his glare flickering along the lines of Trainee's. "Those incapable of doing this arent even suited to be used as decoy's! We'll have you transferred to reclaimed land!"  
My heart jolts.

 _Transfered?! I cant be sent back, I wont! I have nowhere to go!... Then again, I doubt he cares about that very much. He's looking for people who are ready to fight.  
_ He sections off the lines and directs them to different contraptions.  
My line, along with line 5, head off towards the third of the contraptions. Everyone gives it a wary look.  
"Who's first?" Someone mutters.  
Silence. Clearly, all of us are nervous. Swallowing my fear, I move to step forward only for someone to beat me to it.  
"I-I... I'll try." I blink as the stuttering girl (Ria, I think?) , heeding Shardis' advice on her linguistic's, steps forward and begins to strap herself in. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I walk over to the handle with another Trainee and wait for her signal.  
With a thumbs up, the Ria gives me a nervous look. "Go ah...ahead."  
Nodding, I dig my heels into the dirt and pull the crank around, slowly lifting her into the air. When the crank locks into place, Ria fixated a few feet off the ground, I pull away from the crank and watch.  
She holds her arms out a bit to disperse her wait and her eyes widen as she swings a bit, before she stills and smiles. She lowers her arms.  
"This isnt so b-bad." She states, tugging on one of the ropes as if it were a chain. "Its actually kinda nice." She jolts a bit before steadying herself again and I lower her, her boots gently hitting the ground.

With some newfound courage, I wipe my forehead and help her out of the harness.  
"Me next." Ria shuffles over to the crank as I buckle myself in. Peering over my shoulder, I nod.  
The whole lifting process starts out fine, until I notice Shardis walking this way. He pauses by my group and I clench my jaw as the crank locks into place.  
Eyes stare up at me and I too, wait, as if I expected myself to fall. When nothing happens, I let out a sigh.  
"Not bad, Tomone." I smile to myself before I feel a sudden pull at my back. Gasping, the wire turns and I flipp head over heels. My hair hangs down from my head and I stare as everything shifts upside down.  
A few of the meaner trainee's snicker and I make a face.  
"Unami!" My gaze shoots to Shardis as he walks over and peers down at me. Gulping, I stare back. "Fix yourself, pull up your upper body!"  
Noding, I pull upward hastilly and wince a bit as I right myself on the mechanism once more.  
 _I think my rib just punctured my stomach...  
_ Swinging slightly, I adjust my balance and look down at the crowd of people once more.  
The crank shifts and Shardis nods, walking away and off to pester some other Trainee's. I groan.

"Good going, Tomone."  
As I am being lowered, I hear Shardis shouting once more. I turn to the left and spot Eren swinging gently upside down, his eyes wide with shock. I blink. He was doing no better than I was!  
As the day goes on, more and more people file out of the Training area, until those being Transferred are sent off, and I stand alone at the mechanism.  
"I need to work on my balance but... Nobody's here to pull the crank..."  
I jump slightly as I feel a light tap on my shoulder and whip around. Mikasa blinks down at me.  
"Are you having trouble as well?" Making a face, I swallow my pride and nod.  
"Yeah... A bit." She takes a step back and waves her hand.  
"Come on, Eren's having trouble too." Following the dark haired girl, I end up at another 3DMG training set. Eren and Armin are chatting by the crank.  
Upon our arrival, the two boy's look up from their conversation. Armin blinks, looking a bit confused  
"Tomone? I thought you did well on todays exercise?" I shake my head.  
"No I uh... Flipped. Unexpectedly." I rub the back of my neck and give him a sheepish smile.  
Eren puts his hands on his hips.  
"So you and I are in the same boat, then?" I nod again and he sighs. Mikasa pushes a bit of hair from her face.  
"If you just follow the basic's, you two should be fine. Just dont think about trying to do it well or anything." She tells us. "Pay attention to your front and rear balance and gently rest your weight on the belts, and your waist on the back of your legs." Armin nods.  
"Take it slow and you'll be fine." Mikasa looks at me. "You can go first." She walks over to where Armin and Eren stand at the crank, and Eren moves in front of the corntraption. I make a face.  
"Gee, Mikasa, you make this seem so easy." I grumble.

Strapping myself in, I peer over my shoulder once more.  
"Go ahead!"  
With a grunt, my friends turn the crank, and I feel my feet slowly leave the ground.  
I look down at my waiste and around me at the cables, just waiting for myself to tip over as I am being raised.  
But when the crank locks into place and I look up. I my eyes meet the setting sun, and I feel a bit happier.  
"Hey, Im not flipping! I did it!" I fist pump and grin. "That was an easy improvement!"  
Eren grins back up at me and Armin turns the crank again, lowering me to the ground.  
"Alright, Tomone. Move it, its my turn."  
I shoot him a look.  
"Tell me to 'move it' and I may just mocve slower." As my feet touch the ground, I go into slo-mo mode and unbuckle myself at a painstaking speed. He groans and shoves me playfuly as I pull the belt off of my waist.  
"Yeah yeah, I get it." He mutters. Snickering, I move in front of the contraption with Mikasa and Armin cranks the handle again. I raise an eyebrow at my female friend.  
"Oh, so I'm so heavy that both of you had to crank?"  
Eren smirks.  
"Yeah. I hate to say it, Tomone but you're getting a bit soft around the edges." My jaw drops and I mockingly gasp. I cross my arms and turn around.  
"I am _hurt_ , Jaeger!" Mikasa smiles to herself.  
"I just wanted to turn the crank..."

Suddenly there is a resounding crack and a yelp. Peeking over my shoulder with raised eyebrows, I am met with Eren's aganst the ground, his legs in the air. Armin had barely raised the belts.  
My eyes widen and I shake a bit as Armin lowers Eren's lower body slowly, ending with a face-plant-esq position. I bust out laughing as Mikasa moves to unstrap him.  
He groans and I hold my stomach, wiping away tears with one eye as my laughing dies down to a chuckle. I walk over and kneel beside him.  
"Are you a-alright, Eren?" I ask between laughs.  
Oh, the irony.  
"He groans and sits up, gingerly touching his forehead. His fingers pull back with a light dusting of red and I sigh, my gaze traveling from his downcast expression to the scape on his head. "Mikasa can you go get some bandages?"


	6. Trial and Error

We hunt  
We gather  
We feed  
We walk  
We run  
We sprint  
We are the fittest

I sit quietly beside Armin at our table, staring at my food and ignoring the burning feeling of people's eyes on me.  
Eren stares blankly into space, his head now wrapped up in bandages. Murmuring and snickering fills the room and I feel anger swell within me.  
 _Leave him alone... Half of you are thirty year old men and I can assure you that you will be pissing your pants when you have to actually fight a Titan.  
_ Mikasa roughly jerks his shoulder. "Eren." he lets out a low yelp and turns to her as she lowers her hand.  
"Dont pay any mind to them." Armin murmurs. "You still have tomorrow to get the hang of it. Not everyone can do it on the first day." He gives him a small smile and I lift my spoonful of soup to my lips.  
 _I feel bad for laughing at him...  
_ "How pathetic..." Eren mutters. "At this rate exterminating them is..." I take a bite.  
"You shouldnt aim for that any more." Pausing, I look up and swallow, lowering my spoon once more. Armin and Eren turn to her, Eren looking outraged.  
"What did you say?" He demands. Mikasa looks at him calmly from the corner of her eyes.  
"I said you shouldnt aim to be a soldier. After all, throwing away your life isnt the way to fight." My fingers tighten around my spoon.  
"And getting fat in wall Sina, growing weaker and never using our skills is?" I shoot her a glare and she looks calmly back to me. Eren turns his body to face her fully.  
"Listen here. On that day, I saw everything that happened and so did you. Do you really think I'm gonna give up because of something like this?"  
"But your resolution has nothing to do with it." I purse my lips.  
"What? Why?"  
Turning to look at him fully, she lays her hands in her lap. "Because the one who decides whether or not you become a soldier isnt you." She explains.

Eren falters slightly and grits his teeth, opening his mouth to object.  
"E-Excuse me?..." Blinking, we all turn around to see Ria standing there, with her hair done up in her ponytail from today. "U-Um..."  
I raise an eyebrow. "Yes?"  
Her gaze flickers about nervously before she takes the seat beside me. We all wait as she stares at her legs. When she looks up, her jaw is set and her blue eyes sparkle with determination. "I-I think you can do it!"  
I blink, shocked.  
"I-I mean..." She looks away. "I think you can choose. All you h-have..." She clears her throat and turns back to us, her gaze flickering between Mikasa and Eren. "All you have to do is try your hardest. A-And... And if you do, I think that the Sarg. will see that you have th-the will it takes to become a soldier."  
We all stare increadously at her, Eren's jaw slack. I smile slightly and ruffle her hair.  
"See, Mikasa! Ria's got it right!" I tell her, looking at her with a smile. Ria's face flushes a light pink and she moves my hand from her head.  
The sound of the turn-in bell sounds outside and around us, people begin to stand. Signing, Mikasa does the same. Her eyes shine in the dull light of the mess hall.  
"Its not like I'm telling you to return to reclaimed land by yourself..." Eren and Armin scoot away to throw their garbage away and Ria and I blink, watching as Mikasa mumbles something before she realises her adoptive brother had left and sighs, standing to leave on her own.  
I look at Ria.

"Well that happened..." She giggles and I smile.  
The next morning, the Trainee's group around one single 3DM training device, waiting for Eren to be lifted. Shardis blinks, and stares coldly down at my brunette friend.  
"Eren Jaeger. Are you prepared?"  
"Yes sir!" Shardis pauses, gazing into Eren's determined turqoise eyes, as if searching for someting.  
"Begin."  
As the crank turns, Eren's jaw clenches and he waves slightly. As the crank locks into place, and Eren is suspended in the air, he twists to the side slightly, all shaking in the wire gone. His eyes glint in the sunlight as his gaze bores onto Shardis, as if to say "Who's talentless now?".  
My eyes widen and I cheer with the other cadets as he grins.  
But then his body jerks back.  
My smile turns into a frown as Eren's legs flip over his head and he uses his arms to prop him up inches from the ground. Ria lets out a low gasp.  
"No way..." I murmur.  
"But he was balanced!"  
"What happened, I cant see."  
"That Jaeger kid flipped again..."  
"Really?"  
My heart plummets as Eren is lowered. He sits up, his eyes glistening.  
"I-I..."  
 _He looks like he's going to cry...  
_ Shardis makes a face, almost as if he regretted having to do what he was about to. They were going to send him off. Back to reclaimed land. Away from his fellow trainee's and friends.  
Away from me.  
And it seemed as if my inner supports were crumbling, and I couldnt quite place why. In my subconsious, however, I knew... Eren was my support. He was one of the reasons why I joined training. He was one of the reasons I tried so hard, or tried to one-up him in training.  
I shake my head.  
 _No, Tomone! He's your friend!... Just... Your friend... Only that!  
_ What a proposterous thing to think about... That he would...

Shardis suddenly turns around, looking past me to a boy named Thomas.  
"Wagner. Trade belts with Eren."  
Eyes swimming with confusion, Thomas nods. In seconds, Eren is back in the air. He sits perfectly in the contraption and his balance never wavers. I blink.  
Shardis straightens Eren's old belt in his hands. "You had defective equipment." My gaze flickers to the Sargent. "The metal fixtures in your belt were damaged. Though this is the first I've heard of faulty fixtures, it seems that there is a need to start checking them during maintenance."  
My mood skyrockets. "Then that means that he was able to balance on faulty equipment, even if it was only for a bit!" I gasp.  
Several Trainee's gasp, and mutter a few "Wow's".  
"T-Then what about my aptitude evaluation?" Eren asks quietly. Shardis blinks up at him.  
"I see no issues." He states. My eyes sparkle. "Devote yourself to training." Eren's eyes widen and he throws arms up into the air.  
"Yes!" He yells. "I pulled it off!"  
I smile at my friend as he swings back and forth in glee, waiting to be lowered.  
 _I've met some pretty impressive friends... Although, It would have been nice to have met them in different circumstances._  
Overhead, a dove flits past the camp and lands in a tree.  
 _With their help..._ I clench my fist. _I'll get out of this damn cage, and see what's outside the walls!_


	7. Charge to Slice

We are the fittest  
We are the fastest  
We are the smartest  
We are the strongest  
My friends are strong  
I am strong

"Too slow! Pick up the pace you block heads!"  
My breath comes to me in ragged spurts as I run along side Ria, my boots squelching deep into the mud. Rain pours heavilly down onto us Trainee's as we sprint, trying to keep pace with Shardis.  
Said man pulls back towards the rear, beside Armin, who is beginning to fall behind. I tug on the hood of my cloak and glance back at him as Shardis moves up again. Reiner slows a bit and mutters something to him before taking Armin's pack from him. They backpacks were loaded with all sorts of supplies and heavy things try and slow us down. We would have to learn to overcome that weight bearing down on our shoulders.  
Pursing my lips, I look back to the cloaked Trainee's ahead of me.  
 _Come on, Armin! Dont join the dropouts!  
_ Gritting my teeth, I wince as my toe stubs against a sharp stone and stagger a bit.  
Armin sprints past me, gasping for breath and I smile to myself through the pain of my stubbed toes. It felt as if I'd been shot!  
Suddenly Ria gasps as her legs get tripped up and she begins to fall.  
Reaching out, my hand darts to her arm and I pull her up. She passes me a quick glance.  
"T-Thanks, Tomone..." He mutters. I nod.  
"No problem... Today our training is being graded." I reply. "I wouldnt want you to dropout on me this quick." I smirk a bit and she smiles.  
I feel eyes on me from the rear.

*Shardis's POV*

I lean against the trunk of the tree and wait with my clipboard in hand.  
A wooden Titan shifts nearby and I glance past it, straightening.  
Three Trainee's swoop down with their 3D Manuever Gear equipped and blades at the ready, slicing deep into the Titan's flesh. I jot down a few notes on my clipboard as the clay on the 'Titan's' nape is replaced.  
Peering to my left, I notice a two cadets heading our way. My interest peaks.  
Ria and Tomone are darting around, searching quickly through the trees and using minimal gas. Veering to the left, Tomone pushes off of the trunk of a tree and shoots a wire higher into the air.  
One of the Titan dummies shifts and Ria moves to the side to slice. Upon noticing the Titan, both girls look to eachother. A silent signal is sent between them and Tomone drops, her wire zips back into her gear and she free falls, spinnging around and adgusting her grip on the blades.  
Putting on a burst of speed, Ria grits her teeth and pushes past the Titan, making a decent cut along the side. Once she is out of range, Tomone twists, pressing a button to activate her gas and shoots down. Her blades pierce the clay deeper than Ria's cut had. Twisting again, she shoots her wire into a tree and applies more gas, speeding past Ria.  
 _Tomone Unami. Her abilities are at a proficient level in almost every aspect, although her strategy needs work. Her ability to follow orders and work with a team are commendable.  
_ I jot a score down on my paper and look up again just in time to spot a dummy swinging out unexpectedly from behind a tree.

Not anticipating the movement of a dummy, Ria's eyes widen and she lowers herself just enough before she could collide with it, though her head bumps against the jaw of the dummy and she yells a profanity.  
Tomone, on the other hand, dodges around the titan and loops back, slicing down into the nape as Ria recovers and shoots up into the tree's, moving in an opposite direction and slicing the clay at the same speed as her 'partner'.  
 _Ria Mei_ _ō_ _sei. Another example of a Trainee with great aptitude. Her ability to work with others is decent, although she is a bit easy to push around. Her 3DM usage is superb and she has an outstanding will to succeed.  
_ I jot down more scores as the two girls shoot away.  
 _We have quite a bit of talent this year..._

*Back to Tomone's POV*

My eyes narrow as Ria charges, a wooden knife clasped tightly in her hands and steadied at her waist. Letting out a 'tch' she darts forward with a yell and I sidestep, grabbing her jacket and pulling her back before placing a hand on her shoulder and stomach, flipping her over my head and onto the ground behind me.  
She winces. "O-Ouch..." I give her and apologetic smile and hold out a hand.  
"Sorry, Ria. Training is training."  
Squinting past the sunlight shining into her eyes, she grins and shakes her head.  
"I'm alright." Accepting my hand, she pulls herself up and dusts off her jacket. "You're pretty good at this!" I shrug.  
"I just do what they taught me... With style." I put my hands on my hips and look off towards the nearby lake, earning a light laugh from Ria. She tosses me thie knife.  
"Your turn to be the ruffian." Nodding, I move back a few paces and shift, digging my heels into the ground and positioning the knife at my waist.  
 _I dont see a point to this..._ I charge, letting out a yell. _Its not like any civilians are going to attack the few people that are trying to protect them._ Lifting her hands, Ria ducks as I stab outward and she kicks out, swiping my legs from beneath me. Judging from th glint in her eyes as I fall, she agrees with me.  
I land with a thump on the dirt and cough, trying to catch my breath. "G-Good move." I mutter, sitting up and adjusting the ponytail on the back of my head. Wouldnt want my hair in my face during training, now would I?

Suddenly something heavy lands beside me and I squeak, jumping and rolling to the side as Eren lands on his back, his legs over his upper torso. I blink.  
"Hu?"  
Looking up, I stare as other Trainee's halt their own demonstrations and turn to the two people standing nearby.  
Annie Leonhardt tosses Reiner the wooden dagger in her hand, pushing her bangs away from her face. "Here."  
Reiner blinks, looking confused. "Its your turn to attack, right?"  
Reiner shinks away, looking a bit nervous. "N-No I-"  
"Do it, Reiner." I tear my eyes away from the two trainee's and look at Eren, who glowers up at Reiner. His legs are still above his head and he appears to be stuck. "You're showing her the burden that soldier's carry, right?" He mutters darkly. I blink.  
 _He looks a tad pissed.  
_ Taking a deep breath, Reiner nods. "Yeah. There are times when a even a soldier cannot retreat." A breeze blows quietly past, adding dramatic effect. I give my props to Mother Nature.  
In a flash, Reiner is in the same position Eren had been in as the brunette sits up and blinks. Reiner lets out a grunt, trying to flip and my eyes widen.  
My body shakes as I hold back laughter and Ria's knees quake a bit beside me. Annie walks quietly away from us. Eren stands up.  
"Thats an amazing way to take people down." he dusts himself off. "Who taught you that?"

Annie moves her hair over again, glancing back at him. "It doesnt matter."  
Eren moves away from us a bit and they share a quiet conversation as I stand up, wiping my eyes a bit and turning back to my friend.  
"Ria, lets just keep working..." I murmur. Ria pouts.  
"Awh, but this is so interesting!" I shoot her a look.  
"Just take the dagger."  
I ignore the sound of Eren falling to the ground again behind me and wait for Ria to charge.  
 _Let Annie have her fun, besides, its funny how easilly she can take him down.  
_ Later that night, at dinner, I eat quietly and try to focus more on Armin's talking to me than Jean's superiority complex. He casts me and Mikasa a few glances throught dinner.  
Suddenly Eren stands up from his seat and I groan.  
 _Not again Eren... Shini isogi yaro...  
_ "It's pleasant within the inner walls?" He glowers down at Jean, looking a tad pissed. "Five years ago, this was also part of that area, you know."  
Jean crosses his arms. "Just what are you getting at, Eren?"  
Setting down his mug, Eren sighs. "Jean, I think the inside of your head is plenty pleasant no matter where you are." Jean's eyebrow twitches and Ria snickers with a few others, Connie even choking on his food a bit as he tries to hold back a laugh.  
"Why you..."

Eren stares. "Dont you think its strange? How we're honing our skills to kill the Titans in order to get away from them?"  
Jean stands up. "Why bring that up now? For my sake, this inane plan should be maintained." Eren's eyes flash and his hand smacks the table as he pushes away from it.  
"You piece of trash!"  
"Shut up, and just face reality!" Armin and I stand up and look toward out friend nervously.  
"Eren, calm down!" Armin exclaims quietly.  
I nod. "Theres no need to get so riled up, if the Sarg. hears you he'll be livid!" I murmur.  
Standing, Mikasa walks over and quickly separates Eren's fist from Jean's collar. "Stop it." She moves his hand back down to his side and Jean's jaw clenches. His hand shoots out and wraps around Eren's shirt collar, pulling against it roughly.  
"Dont screw with me, you bastard!"  
I push away from the table. "Jean!"  
"Let go, Dammit! You'll tear my shirt!" My face dusts a light pink at the thought and I roughly shake my head.  
"Who cares about your cloths! I'm so jealous!"  
"Huh? What are you talking about?!"  
Eren's eyes flash and he pauses. Time seems to slow as he suddenly reaches out, puts his hand on Jean's chest and moves past him, kicking out his legs from beneath him. My eyes widen and I let out a low gasp.  
 _That's the move Annie used on him!_ I smile slightly. _He's changed from that emotion-controlled boy I met five years ago.  
_ Letting out a grunt as he hits the ground, Jean sucks in a breath and slowly sits up, proping himself on his elbows. A few low gasps sound around the Mess Hall.

Jean lifts a hand to his head and winces, rubbing the spot where he'd hit the ground. "What the hell was that?!"  
Eren turqoise eyes stare coldly down at him.  
"Its a hand-to-hand combat technique I went through hell to learn while you slacked off." I smirked at the memory of him on the ground with his legs over his head.  
"You think kicking back and doing whatever you want is reality?" He asks lowly. "Can you still call yourself a soldier?"  
We all stare, shocked and yet in approval.  
Suddenly the door opens slowly.  
"I heard a loud noise a moment ago..." I tense and a shiver runs down my spine.  
 _Shit!  
_ "Anyone care to explain?"


	8. Free are the Cosmo's

We are fickle  
We want love  
Love breeds hate  
Hate breeds violence  
Violence breeds war  
Love breeds war  
Do we love Titans?  
Absolutely not lets just not even go there

And so, two hundred and eighteen Trainee's made it to graduation. I stand behind the line of the top ten grades, my heart swelling with pride.  
"Offer your lives!"  
With a unanimous yell of "Yes sir!", all Trainee's stand at a salute. My eyes scan the top ten.  
Mikasa.  
Reiner.  
Bertoldt.  
Annie.  
Eren.  
Jean.  
Marco.  
Connie.  
Sasha.  
Kristsa.  
All of my friends had made it to the top ten, and that overjoyed me. Even if I didnt 'beat' Eren, I still made 12th place with Ria and Armin behind me.  
"From this day forth, all of you who have graduated from Trainee's have three options. Firstly, the Garrison, which is responsible for wall fortification and defending the towns. Secondly, the Scouting Legion, which resolutely ventures outside the wall and into Titan territory." My mouth twitches. "And lastly, the Military Police Brigade, which governs the citizens and maintains order." A gentle breeze blows past, pushing my hair into my eyes and my hand darts up, quickly pushing it away.  
 _I'll have to fix that.  
_ Of course, only those that we previously announced to be ranked amongst the top ten can choose to enter the Military Police."  
 _We've made it this far,_ My eyes sparkle in the light of the lit torches around us. _Now its our time to fight back!_

Later that night, we celebrate. Glasses clink together overhead, forks scratch at plates and the sound of laughter and cheering fills my ears.  
I chat happily with Krista at a table, laughing and joking about with her.  
"Congratulations on getting 10th place, Krista!" She shoots me a smile as Ria joins us.  
"Thank you! It wasnt easy, I can tell you." Ria pouts.  
"I'm almost jealous, Krista. You have every man in the 104th wrapped around your finger AND you made it to the top ten!" She exclaims. "How lucky!"  
Krista blushes a bit. "Its no big deal, really... I still dont know which Regiment I'll choose."  
I blink. "You should joing the Garrison."  
Both of my friends turn to me and I take a sip of water. "I mean, you dont have to worry about Expeditions but you can also put your skills to use." I explain, shrugging my shoulders. "And Ymir wont have to worry."  
At this, Krista flushes a bright pink and I smirk, Ria snickering across from me.  
"You cant win!"  
Conversations stops and I raise an eyerbow, scooting around in my seat to get a look at what was happening. Eren, Armin and Mikasa stand awkwardly in the back of a small group by one of the walls, with Thomas Wagner wide eyed in the middle. He looks around for a second before swallowing.

"I-I mean, you know too, right?" He murmurs. "About the tens of thousands of victim's." I tense. "The answer was obvious after twenty percent of our population was lost-"  
"Thats enough!" I shoot up from my seat, my hand smacking against the table.  
"What the Scouting Region is doing is furthering our chances of survival, no matter the cost!"  
"Its suicide!" I feel my blood boil as my gaze hardens, my green eyes swimming with anger.  
"Would you rather get fat and lazy, and when the Titan's finally do make it into Sina or whatever the hell fancies your imagination," I clench my fist. "Would you rather die a hopeless, meaasly death that meant nothing?! Would you rather have known you'd done nothing to stop them?!"  
"But mankind cant win against the Titans!"  
My jaw clenches as silence succumbs the hall. People hang their heads or stare at their cups, at their reflection. They realise now that there are only two options: Be useless, or die trying to make a differance. They realise that their hard work and either do all or nothing. They know now just how scared they really are.  
"So?"  
All eyes turn to Eren as he lowers his cup from his mouth. "Are you giving up because you think you cant win?" Thomas looks taken-aback and blinks, his grip tightening on his mug.  
"Well..."  
"True, up until know, its been a losing battle for mankind. But thats because we didnt know much about the Titans! A battle of resources against them is pointless." I stare. "Although we lost, the information we obtained through fighting will bring hope! Are we going to abandon the tactical advances gained through tens of thousands of sacrifices and quietly wait for the Titans to devour us all?! You've gotta be kidding me!" He makes a face, the bridge of his nose crinkling in anger.

My fist unclenches absentmindedly and my jaw hangs a bit.  
"I'll exterminate every last Titan and escape these damned confining walls!" Only now do I notice that my friend is on the verge of tears. "That is my dream... Mankind hasn't truely been defeated yet!"  
When the occupants of the hall stare, he seems to realise his position and turns heel, bolting up the stairs and outside. I hop off of my seat and follow Mikasa and Armin. Ria stares as we leave, seemingly trying to process what just happened.  
"Eren, wait!"  
We find him sitting on a step, rubbing his eyes with his shirt sleeve. When he hears us approaching, he turns around. His eyes are slightly red and a tad puffy from crying and he looks almost surprised we had followed him. Mikasa throws the end of her scarf over her shoulder as we all sit down around him. We are silent for a while, waiting for someone to break the silence.  
"Eren, what was that dream you mentioned before?" Armin asks.  
"Oh, its what you told me about. Going outside instead of staying here." My blonde friend blinks and my eyebrows rise up my forehead. We are silent again.  
"I'll join the Scouting Legion." We all blink, turning back to our shy friend.  
Eren makes a face. "Armin, are you sure? You're the best at academic courses, so go with that!" I nod.  
"Become a Trainee teacher and teach more Trainee's!-"  
"I'd rather die than become a burden." My shoulders slump a bit and I sigh, relaxing a bit.  
 _We cant change his mind. He's more stubborn than he looks.  
_ "I'll join too." We all turn to Mikasa.

"What, you too?" I ask , increadulous. Eren's nose crinkles again.  
"Come on, you're the top of our class! Go with the Military Police!" Mikasa turns away from her adoptive brother and looks ahead at the dark streets of town.  
"If you join the Military Police, so will I. If you join the Garrison, I will do the same." I make a face. "If you're not together with me, you'll die early, after all." I huff.  
"He may be hotheaded but that's a bit harsh." Eren nods and looks away, lifting a hand to his head.  
"I never asked you to protect me." He mutters.  
"I dont want to lose any more of my family." My heart jolts and I lean my head against her leg, looking up at the stars.  
"You know what guys?" I murmurs, my eyes shining as a shooting star flies by overhead in the cosmos. "I think the stars are the only free thing we have left."  
 _And they're beautiful._


	9. Get me Down

(A/N: OMG HEY GUYS WHATS UP BEEN WAITING LONG? Lol so I just wanted to announce that I currently have a poll up on my Account page for this story, so everyone please check it out and vote!)

We scream  
We cry  
We fall  
We die  
We stand  
We fight  
We fall again  
We are weak  
Humans are weak  
I am a Human  
I am weak

"Look, here they come! Its the Scouting Legion!"  
"Commander Erwin, please give the Titans a good beating for us!"  
"Look! Its Lance Corporal Rivaille!"  
My eyes are wide and sparkle as I watch the Scouting Legion pass for their fifty-third expedition beyond the walls. I scan the line of Legionare's and in the back of my mind I knew I was searching for that familiar head of blonde hair.  
 _When I join the Legion, I want to find him and thank him.  
_ And as a white horse passes by, I find him. My eyes widen. The man on the horse was definatly him, the one who had saved me all those years ago... Except the crazy thing was, he wasnt a Commander then. Now he rides straight faced atop a white steed, his gaze unwavering and stature tall. My gaze follows him as he dissapears over the heads of other civilians and Graduate-Trainee's, and I turn my attention to the now passing Corporal Rivaielle.  
 _They say that he alone is as strong as an entire brigade...  
_ He glares boredly at the crowd as he passes, muttering to himself. I feel my lips twitch upward in a smirk.  
 _Things have changed from five years ago... People used to hate watching the Scouting Legion pass by or return. Everybody's in such better moods.  
_ "Everybody seems so happy." Ria murmurs. "Nothing has happened for five years and it looks like everybody's found some new hope." I smile.  
Two years of training day after day was tough, but we made it through. Ria even lost her stutter. And in our heart's, it was all for this. To hear the crowd cheer as the Scouting Legion left for their Expeditions.

A boy behind us with army style hair pipes up behind us. "And the fixated cannons have been improved, too." Ria and I turn around to face him. "Dont you think that the Colossal Titan might not come back?" He asks with a slight shrug.  
Beside Armin, Eren grits his teeth as another girl agrees with him. He makes a face. "Why do you sound so cowardly, you stupid couple?!"  
Armin holds up his hands and gives him a sheepish look, as if begging him to not be so blunt. Immediatly, the girl waves her hand, turning around. Her face is a bright pink.  
"W-W-Wait a second, we're not a couple!"  
The boy's face heats up to the point where he looks like a tomato and he stares for a moment before he covers his mouth with his arm and clears his throat.  
"You shoouldn't assume such things, Eren." Eren, who clearly couldn't read the situation, quivers slightly out of furstration. I let out a high pitched, rather sheepish laugh and pat his shoulder roughly.  
"Hey, you kids!" We all blink look to the left as a blonde man in a Garrison standard uniform weaves through the crowd towards us. Eren's mood brightens immediatly.  
"Hannes!" I raise an eyebrow and look at Mikasa.  
"D'you know this guy?" She nods.  
"He was a good friend of the family when we were younger." She responds quietly, pulling up her scarf as Hannes stops infront of Eren with a small smile on his face.

"I heard you all graduated yesterday." He says. "You squirts have really shaped up."  
Eren grins up at his childhood friend. "Same goes for you, considering a drunkard like yourself is a Garrison Captain." I almost choke on air from trying to hold back my laughter. I cough into my fist a few times to calm myself down. Hannes flicks Eren's forehead.  
"You little..." His soft smile fades into a frown and he looks down at the boy almost sad. "I'm sorry." He murmurs. "For not being able to save your mother."  
At the meer mention of her, though we had never met, my heart curls into a knot and I grimace slightly. Eren looks shocked at the comment before he makes a face.  
"Hannes, it wasnt your fault." Now, it was Hannes' turn to be shocked. "We're not living in ignorance like before. I wont let such a tragety happen again." His eyes sparkle. "I'll defeat the Titans. No matter what."  
Hannes blinks, slightly shocked. And when the time comes to bid him farewell, we walk away from with a smiling face.  
Buut... Then we have to refil the Stationary Cannons, wipe up the bricks on the top of the wall, refill the ammunitions supply etc. As I restock Ammo, the others chat off neaby.  
Eren was slightly outraged (Or maybe surprised? Its hard to tell with him.) when our friends informed us of their decision to join the Scouting Legion. Apparently Eren's little speech the other day had impressed them. As if to speak my thoughts, Mina walks over with her hands clasped behind her back. "I think your speech got to him."  
I smile. "Awh! Lil' Springer looks up to Eren!" Said 'Lil' Springer' shoots me a look, his face red and I stick my tongue out at him. I was honestly kind of proud that those who'd planned on going into the- *cough cough*Bitch Brigade *Cough Cough*- Military Police.

"Um, guys?" I blink, looking up from my hair and pushing my hair over my ear as Sasha approaches. She looks fairly flustered and hides something beneath her brown jacket. She grins at us, her face flushed. "I took some meat from the officer's food storage..." Our eyes widen.  
"You did _WHAT_ Potato Girl?!" I shoot upright as she holds out the meat tied up with deli-grade rope.  
"Sasha are you trying to get thrown into one of the isolation cells?!" Eren exclaims.  
"You really _are_ an idiot."  
Connie grimaces. "Idiocity is scary stuff..."  
I snort. _Look who's talking._ He shoots me a dark look. Sasha's grin widens.  
"Lets all share it together later." Her eyes sparkle. "We'll slice it, and sandwich it with bread!"

I swear she practically shivers with excitement.  
"Go put it back!" Someone demands.  
"Yeah! Meat has become extremely valuble since we lost Wall Maria." Sasha waves her free hand.  
"It'll be fine." She says. As if thats supposed to reassure us. She walks over to one of the storage bins for Garrison/working Cadet lunches and digs down to the bottom. "Once we reclaim the land, we'll be able to raise more cows and sheep..." She gently sets the meat piece down into the wooden box. "And if you wont have any, I'll just eat it myself." After a few seconds of gently piling things in the box to conceal the delicacy that was tied meat, she shuts the box.  
I suck in a deep breath, eyeballing the box. _Resist the temptation, Tomone. Resist it! RESIST!  
_ My hand shoots into the air. "I'll have some, please!" People stare at me and I hang my head as Sasha's grin curls from ear to ear. Connie tenses as if trying to appear tougher.  
"So will I, hold onto some for me."  
Mina smirks a surprisingly devilish smirk. "Same goes for me, absolutely." Eren's head swivels around as one after one, the other Gratuate Cadets put a reservation out for their own slice of meat. As the last few cadets ask for their share, I turn back to the ammunition boxes. I look over at Eren as his feet keep him nailed to the ground and laugh.  
"What's got you so spaced, Eren?" I ask. He looks down at me. "If we dont get back to work, they'll catch us and we're done in for sure." He blinks a few times before grinning. Nodding, he looks out to the city caged within the very barriers we stood atop of. A breeze blows idly by, carrying a few scarce leaves in its wake.  
I smile to myself. _Everyone might say that Eren is crazy, but I think hes marvelous. He's clearly proficient in his military training, seeing as he made the top 10. He's determined and well... He's my friend._

I pause from my work once more and lean back on my ankles, following his gaze out to the center of town. I push my hair out of my eyes as the breeze blows past again before pulling my longer hair in the front back and tying it with a small hair tie.  
 _The town looks so much more beautiful and life-like from up here..._ My heart twists. _I dont want to get down.  
_ Suddenly, with a loud crash and a blinding flash of white, I freeze.  
Time slows as I turn my body slowly. My hands shake as I stare into one large, cold, soul-less cobalt grey eyes. And in that instant, I knew that with the very deepest and darkest caverns of my heart...  
I wanted to get down.


	10. That day, repeated

Death  
Destruction  
Terror  
Gore  
Phobia  
Fear  
Weakness  
 **We are weak  
I am weak**

Dark muscle shines in the sunlight as doves fly by in slow motion. Time is drawing to a still.  
Giant, boulbous cobalt-grey eyes stare down at us, soul-less and glinting with malice. I stare, my body frozen and shakey. My heart had long since stopped as my eyes widen.  
Suddenly time catches up with itself...  
"SHIT!-"  
I gasp as a gale of wind streams past, the sound of what seems to be an explosion of stone filling the air around me and making my heart pulsate back to life. Suddenly my body leaves the ground and I whimper as I fly off of the wall. Acting on instinct, I grip the handle of my currently equipped 3D Manuever Gear and shoot out a wire, skidding to a halt on the wall as the others fly off and stick to the wall on both sides.  
I grit my teeth. _It's back...  
_ I turn my head sharply towards Mina. Her eyes are glazed over with fear. "What the hell happened?!" I yell over the force of the wind that was slowly beginning to ebb away. "What was that explosion?!" With wide eyes, she seems to snap into reality and her head swivels quickly before freezing. She stares at a point directly below us and to our left. I follow her gaze as Eren sticks a wire into the wall above me. My heart stops again.  
 _The wall's broken again! The Titan's are going to get in!  
_ I begin to hyperventilate. _What's going to happen, this is another twenty percent of our population! Will I be sent back to Wall Sina after this?_ My thinking jolts to a stop.  
 _Will I even survive long enough to make it that far?_

Memories flash into my mind.  
Destruction. Screaming. Weeping. Blonde hair. Eren. Mikasa. Armin. Titans. Fear. Blood. Death.  
My body quakes as I stare at the destoyed wall. _That destruction is going to happen again!  
_ Above me, Eren lets out a 'tch'.  
"4th Fixed Cannon Maintanence Squad, prepare for battle!" I tear my eyes away from the door and look up at my companion. His blades shine brightly, even in the shadow of the wall. He drops before swinging up and around the group. "Our target is ahead of us, the Collossal Titan!" Flying upward, he skids to the top of the Wall, beyond my view. "This is our chance! Don't let it get away!"  
My stomach knots. "Eren!"  
The other Graduates stare up at where Eren's form dissapeared before someone snaps out of it. Clenching his teeth, Connie drops his wire and swings around. I follow his lead, heading for the top of the wall. I pressure my gas, but not too much so.  
Learning about Kinetic and Potential energy in Science wasn't so bad after all.

As we wire up, I wince as heat floods down upon me and the other, now moving, Graduate Trainee's. It had gone for the defence cannons.  
Ammo explodes around me as the Collossal Titan's mighty hand swipes the top of the wall. looking up from my wire just in time to spot a large cannon heading straight for my head, I suck in a breath and push on the gass, sending me rocketing away from the debris.  
 _I knew it! He's intelligent!  
_ Suddenly a plume of smoke rises into the air. The hear from the ammo intensifies and I wince.  
 _It burns!  
_ I skid to a stop as Thomas reaches the top and look at the others, who stare, sweat pouring down their necks.  
I gulp. "Everyone!" All eyes turn to me. "Get back to HQ! We need to prepare for a long fight!"  
Above me, I hear Thomas yelling faintly as I swallow the bile rising in my throat. I fall back and flip around, swinging down through town and towards HQ.  
 _The Wall's been breached and this time... I wont go down without a fight!  
_ As I approach HQ, the sound of the alarm bells rings out around me, nullifying everything.

My mind goes blank, and I move without realising it. The sound of the bell fills my ears. The only sound that breaches it, is the faint sound of cannonfire in the background.  
Just like when I was a kid.  
*Flashback*

I whimper, throwing the covers over my head and curling my tiny body into a ball, shivering as the Cannon's sound once more. I make a half attempt to bury my head in my pillow.  
"Its so loud... I cant sleep..." I whisper. "Its so scary..."

*Flashback end*

My friends pause their convesation as I, still unaware of my body functioning, jog over to the gas tanks and begin to refuel, my eyes glossy.  
Suddeny I feel a sharp shake at my shoulder and I jolt back to life. Mikasa stands over me, her hand firmly gripping my shoulder. "Calm down."  
My hands shake as I finish filling up my gas and lift a hand to my forehead.  
"Sorry... I started to panic..." Realigning everything and setting my filled gas tank in place, I stand up and pull Mikasa's hand off, walking away before she could try to reassure me. It would only make things worse.  
"Tomone!" I halt. Behind me, Eren leans towards me, still seated beside Armin. "We're going to win."  
I do not respond.  
Through the speech of positions, I find myself hardly listening. Positions wont matter in half an hour. As soldiers scramble around, looking for their teams and equipment or a dark corner to cry in, I fish into my pocket and pull out the pocket knife.  
The once off-white handle is now stained with patches of red that scatter across even the Wall Maria symbol. I stare at the hilt. I remember the words I had sworn by the day I signed up for Military Training.  
 _"I want to free humanity and I would gladly give up my life to protect the King and the citizens around us, sir! I want to join the Scouting Legion, sir!... I swore on the life of a man who's life was unrightfully taken by fear, sir!"_

"Tomone." I snap my head up and shove the pocket knife away as Reiner approaches me with a small team. Annie, Connie and Jean. I blink. "You're on our squad."  
I nod and pull out the blades from their storage. "Lets get moving. Where do we start?"  
As the words leave my mouth, a Garrison Squad Leader waves at us from afar, another hand cupped over his mouth as he calls to us. "Squad 54, advance! Assist! Slay any Titans you can find!"  
Connie purses his lips. "I guess anywhere. Lets go."


	11. Tainted Red

Fear  
Hate  
Power  
Destruction  
Humans are weak  
We are all weak  
Freak  
Monster  
Friend

And off we go, slaying Titans one after another with ease. Blades slash into flesh, gas burns into the air and makes me nautious. Blood slpatters my clothes, evaporating away in small wisps of steam.  
"Four-Meter Class, Two o'clock!" Annie and I cast eachother sparing glasses before I slide down from the roof I had been running across and she wires up onto a chimney nearby.  
Sliding under the Titan's legs, I hear sparks as the back of my propeller hits the cobble street below me before I release my wire and fly upward. Hitting the wire again and pressing the gass, I shift my gear and spin around, angling my blades as I slice the Titan's achille's tendon.  
Its foever smiling face falls to the ground and I stare it down. Its eerie expression is fixated on me and only me until Annie spirals down, her blades smacking into the Titan's nape before the smoking tendon's could regenarate. We whizz back up to our group, who had stopped on a nearby roof.  
I make a face as Connie pulls someone up to a staggery standing position. My eyes widen.  
"A-Armin." He looks up at me as I rush over, my hands dancing across his skin in search of any wounds. I turn his head. "Are you alright? What happened?!" His eyes shimmer and he looks away from me. I make a face and release his head.  
 _He felt slimy..._ I absentmindedly wipe the stick onto my pants. Suddenly his eyes widen and he starts screaming. The rest of us jolt and my heart pounds.  
"Armin!" Connie yells, grabbing him by the shoulders and jerking him roughly. "Get a hold of yourself!" Several more Trainee's swing down and surround us, to defend us while we calm down our friend. I notice Ymir among them.  
"Armin, whats wrong!" I gasp. "Keep it together!"  
He pulls at his hair. "I'm dead weight! I should just die!"  
My breathing becomes frantic, coming to me in gasps. "Dont say things like that, please calm down!"  
Tears pour from Armin's eyes as he jerks his head roughly from side to side. "Damn it all!"  
"Armin where are the others?!" Connie demands. His screaming stops with a whine.

"Let it go Connie. They're all dead, minus this guy." All eyes turn to Ymir. "Minus this guy."  
Connie clenches his fists. "How would you know, he hasn't said anything!"  
She shoots a glare at him over her shoulder. One that could kill. "Isn't it obvious just from looking around? We dont have any more time to waste on him."  
Let me get something straight. Ymir was a great friend, loyal in every way. Sure, she had her dark moments, like blackmailing. But this made my blood boil.  
"Dont you DARE say that!" I growl. "Armin is working hard to fight just like the rest of us, its not... Leave him alone!" I turn to my shaking friend and rub his back as Annie, Reiner and Connie regroup with the other Trainee's.  
I rub small circles and bend over slightly, trying to look into his eyes. "Armin, its alright." I murmur. "Everything's fine."  
His body shakes as he lets out a sob. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Tomone..." I make a face.  
 _He's really shaken up... Armin..._  
I feel eyes on my back for a moment and turn around, only for everyone's heads to snap back towards Ymir. I make a face.  
 _They've got something they dont want to tell me._ I read Ymir's lips as thr group disperses: 'Let him tell them himself'.

Suddenly Armin walks towards the edge of the building and pulls out his blades. "I'm sorry for being a burden."  
My eyes widen. "Armin, wait!" He jumps off and swings away before I can beg him to do otherwise. I fight back the tears threatening to spill over. "Just talk to me..."  
But we regroup into our squads, and recieve orders to advance. And so, with Armin and his words plaguing my mind, I follow my team back into hell.  
 _No... This world has always been hell.  
_ Titan after Titan fell at the hand of my blades. Blood sprayed the earth and ran into the rivers concealed by rock and crystal. The blood tainted it, and the water was no longer fit to drink. It had become forbidden.  
I had become tainted.  
I was the water.

Slowly I noticed my fear ebbing away, and a stonce cold glare had formed on my face. When it rained, I did not accept the cloaks handed out by Squad Leaders as we passed. I did not flinch when a Titan's hand appeared from seemingly thin air, or an Abberant lept for us.  
Because in the next second I knew we would kill it.  
And it would die a slow death, evaporating into the hidden streams. And further taint my being.  
Only when retreat bells did not sound, and my blades were beginning to dull, did I begin to assess the situation. It was rather grim.  
At this rate, either we were not to pull back, and this battle would last for longer with more death around every corner... Or HQ was gone.  
As I whisk over chimneys and rooftops, my harsh green gaze flickers over to HQ, where my suspicions are confirmed.  
"Damn it all..." Ahead, a small legion of Trainee's sits and waits for orders, or for someone to take command.  
We stop there, and I sheath my blades, looking around for Eren, Mikasa, Ria and Armin.  
 _I'm almost out of gas, blood is evaporating of of my jacket, my friends are missing and HQ has been overrun. Great! What else could happen that could possibly ruin my day?  
_ I spot Ria nearby and head over, asking her about the others and what they've managed to learn.  
"Well, at this point, HQ is gone, the Support Teams arent coming to support us, most of us dont have the gas to get over the wall and half of us are in a traumatic shock." Her crystal blue eyes sadden. "Just look at Armin..." She points to my blonde friend, who sits huddled against a wall nearby.

I nod. "I know..." I murmur.  
I make my way over slowly, through the crowd, Ria on my tail. She stops a few feet back and I continue forward, stopping a few feet away from Armin. In the background, Connie screams at Jean about why we should be moving, and Sasha tries to rally us together.  
"Armin?" Immediatly he tenses, his body seizing up, before he culs further into himself, as if hopinghe would just spontaniously combust. Nearby, Mikasa flies down onto the roof, asks around before she spots us and speeds over. She calls his name and his head snapps up, away from his knees. He seems more scared than ever. I make a face as Mikasa pulls up beside me.  
She kneels in front of him and he hangs his head, avoiding her gaze.  
"Armin, are you alright?" She asks quietly. "Are you hurt? Feeling okay?" He gives her a curt nod and she stands, looking around. "Where's Eren? He was in your squad, right?"

I stop.  
My eyes widen and fear suddenly floods my body. I realise the things I've done, the things that could happen. The things that did happen.  
I remember that the Scouting Legion isnt here to save my ass again.  
I infer what happened to Eren.  
My blood runs cold and I stare at Mikasa's back, her jacket emblazoned with the Trainee Squad's emblem.  
A tear trickles down Armin's cheek and his lip quivers. Mikasa makes a face, persisting. "Armin?"  
He looks up at her, teary eyed and covered in that... Stickyness.  
He reeked of Titan. Mikasa jolts as if she finally realised. Ria walks over slowly.  
"D-Dont tell me that what I think happened..." Her voice wavers.  
Armin looks down, his hands clanched over his knees. "Our unit... The 34th Cadet unit..."  
Nearby, people halt their moping, self mourning and arguing to listen in.

Armin lets out a small sob as the tears fall faster.  
"Thomas Wagner. Nic Tius. Mylius Zeramuski. Mina Carolina. Eren Jaeger." He chokes on each name as he spits them from his mouth. "All five of them have fullfilled their duty and died heroic deaths in battle!"  
I turn to stone.  
My knees quake and I collapse, staring ahead.  
 _They're gone... Everyone is gone...  
_ "Y-You cant be serious?" Ria mutters. The tears I willed not to spill flood forward and cascade down my cheeks. I do not sob, I do not shake.  
No, I stare.  
Eren was our driving force and we all knew it. He never gave up, he trained hard, he was determined. And he wouldnt die even if he was killed here.  
But he did die.  
And now he's gone.

What's the point? Of living... Of fighting? What's the point of all of this?


	12. Pain, Pain, Go Away

Freak  
Freind  
Monster  
Asset  
Threat  
Weakness  
Strength  
What am I doing here?

I can do nothing but stare.  
 _Eren is dead.  
_ Fear fills my body, overwhelming me.  
 _My friends are dead.  
_ My breath comes to me in gasps.  
 _They got eaten.  
_ Ria's faint voice reaches my ears as she jostles me, trying to send me back to reality.  
 _One of my best friends is gone.  
_ A choked sob escapes my lips. My life was being torn apart at the seams. Time flies by until fear suddenly evaporates. I stand, my body self-aware as my mind goes blank. I shut down.  
Tear tracks stain my face as I turn around to watch Mikasa restore hope to us all (by insulting us...). Her words do not reach me.  
And then the emptiness that seemed to envelop every possible corner of my body fades. As my fellow Cadets fan out, spreading across the rooftops and screeching out war cries, rage drowns me.  
I ignore my team and race off of the roof, swinging around and deftly killing any Titans without a moments notice. I no longer care. I no longer think. I no longer feel.  
And then I run out of blades.

Skidding to a halt and sending a few shingles to their impending shattering, I curse myself.  
"What a dumbass. You forgot you have a limmit."  
I begin to pace angrilly once I realise just how far out I've separated myself from most of the Cadets. I curse again, my voice raising to the point where I'm spitting profanities from my mouth. I smash my hand onto a chimney and pause before screaming out a curse.  
"Note to self, stone is a bitch."  
I fail to notice the Cadets catching up.  
And I fail to notice the shadow looming over my head.  
When warm fingers wrap around my body, trapping my arms at my sides, I freeze. My eyes widen.  
Blood pulsates through the Titan's veins as it lifts my from the roof and examines me. I shiver as I notice the flesh poking out from between his teeth.  
I begin to kick out with my legs, squirming and trying to get free and nearly snapping my own spine in the process.  
And then I notice the scarf.  
That red scarf that I knew oh-so-well. My breath hitches in my throat and I stare.  
The fabric hung from the creature's revolting lip as it eyed me up. I open my mouth only for nothing to happen.  
"M-Mikasa..." I manage to choke out, my voice barely audible. "No..."  
My thrashing stops as the Titan lifts me towards its mouth, unbearably slow.

People call my name in the distance. I do not hear them.  
 _What's the point?_ I was ready to die. I cant handle losing them again.  
"Tomone! Oi, what are you doing?!"  
I stare into space as I inch closer and closer to those flesh ridden teeth and sticky saliva.  
And then I realise I realy am afraid. I was letting my emotions take over. I shut down, and I didnt care any more. I cant do that in these situations. I cant turn into Eren.  
I let out a whimper.  
 _I dont want to die!_ Someone screams my name again and as my head passes the threshold from town to death's jaws, I find my voice again. I let out a blood curdling screech.  
Flesh, tongue, teeth. I didnt want to ever have to see those things upclose.  
"Tomone!" I jolt. _That was Mikasa's voice!  
_ And suddenly I am in the air. Floating. No, more like... falling.  
Above me, a Titan throws his fist into my assailant's cheek, sending it flying. It's brown hair whips about violently and it's green eyes flash. They spark with a level of rage I've never seen.  
And beside it, Mikasa leans over the edge of the roof with Sasha and Bertolt. Her eyebrws furrow.  
"Tomone, get a grip!"  
I jolt and fire my wire, hastilly joining her and dashing into her arms. I shake.  
"I-I th-thought you were..." She whacks me lightly over the head and I wince, pulling away. Her eyes are dull and lifeless.  
"Dont ever give up on me like that again." My heart swells slightly and I give her a tiny nod.

Beside us, the Titan smashes its foot through the Titan's ribcage.  
I realise my proximity to the HQ.  
Comrades had already entered and begun to refill gas, some even bringing it up to the surface. They shoot away immediatly while I stop and stare.  
"What is it... doing?" I ask. "Titans dont..."  
Mikasa shrugs, shaking her head as the odd Titan storms off in search of it's next victim.  
"I dont know." She murumurs back. "But its different." I shoot her a look, raising my eyebrows at her statement.  
"No, really? Well shit I never knew." She shoots me a glare and shakes her head again before she turns back to the Titan. Her eyes seem to regain their original luster as sunlight begins to break ever-so-slowly through the cloud cover above.  
Her fist clenches on her blade."No. You dont get it." She continues.  
"This one saved me."


End file.
